The Painter
by fio-el-fal-shia-kais
Summary: Shortly after the defeat of Ti Lung, Crane encounters a mysterious painter of exceptional skill. Unfortunately, what is painted is not always what you expect to see. rated M for later chapters.  p.s. This is my first fanfic, please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

The Painter: part 1

On a clear and sunny day in the Valley of Peace, the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior were practicing under the watchful eyes of Master Shifu. It had been several weeks since the defeat of Tai Lung and the villagers had finally finished the repairs to the temple and houses damaged during the battle. It was the first day the six masters had time to practice, and it showed.

Crane let out a startled squawk as his tail feathers were singed by the fire traps. He just managed to make it to the edge of the fire floor when Master Shifu appeared by his side.

"What happened Crane, you know better than that!" Shifu scolded.

"Sorry Master. I lost my focus," Crane replied.

"Crane, are you alright?" asked Viper, slithering over from the wooden rollers.

"I'm fine, it only singed the tips," Crane said, raising his voice to be heard by the rest of his friends as they gathered around.

"Fine or not, you lost your focus in battle. Be lucky it was only your feathers that were scorched this time," Shifu said angrily.

Crane was about to respond, but was cut off by Shifu.

"I have been quite disappointed in all your performances today. I would have kept you training if I had thought you would have lost this much," Shifu said, addressing the group. "I want you to go meditate and not come back until you are ready to perform by my standards."

"Yes Master," chorused the group before they left the training hall.

"Is something wrong Crane? You haven't been yourself lately," asked Po as they walked out the door.

Crane started to shake his head, stopped, and said "I don't know Po, I just haven't been able to concentrate lately."

"Maybe you'll figure it out after you do a bit of thinking. None of us has had a moment to ourselves recently," piped up Mantis from Monkey's shoulder.

"Maybe," Crane said, doubt evident in his face.

The group split as each person headed to their preferred place of meditation: Tigress going to her room, Po to the sacred pare tree, Monkey and Mantis to the gardens behind the temple, Viper to a particularly sunny part of the roof, and Crane taking off for his favorite overlook of the city.

As Crane soared toward the overlook, his head was filled with thoughts about the morning training. While it was true that he was having trouble focusing, it wasn't because he was out of practice. He had been distracted by the sight of Viper training nearby. Unbidden to him, the image of Viper, her body poised to strike at nearby target, formed in his mind. He tried to think of something, anything else, but his mind kept retiring to that wonderful sight. Viper, her beautiful green scales, her gorgeous blue eyes, the detailed pattern along her back. Crane shook his head violently, nearly destabilizing his flight.

"You can't be thinking of her like that," Crane angrily thought to himself. "She is your friend and a fellow Master, besides she certainly does not feel the same way about you."

With a little more force than usual, Crane landed on the edge of the isolated overlook, his mind still clouded with images of Viper. He looked out at the village neatly laid out before him, later to be framed by the setting sun. Regrettably, his mind was too turbulent to enjoy the vista before him, so he sat next to the edge and settled into a troubled meditation. After what seemed like ages, his thoughts were interrupted by a strange sound behind him. He froze, ears straining to identify the noise and after a moment of thought he had it. It was the sound of a brush on canvas, interspersed with an occasional quiet mumble.

"Who could be painting way up here?" Crane thought as he started to turn around, his mind dimly noticing the start of the sunset over the valley. Before he could fully rotate, he was interrupted by a male voice behind him.

"Hold still just another second, I'm almost done," said the voice.

Crane couldn't tell what surprised him more, the voice or the fact that he was in the painting. He held still, straining to catch a glimpse of the person out of the corner of his eye. About a half minute later, Crane was about to turn around anyway when the voice spoke again.

"Ok, you can move. Sorry, I wanted to finish before the sun fully set," said the voice apologetically.

In one fluid motion, Crane stood and turned to face the mysterious painter.


	2. Chapter 2

The Painter part 2:  
In one fluid motion, Crane stood and turned to face the mysterious painter.  
Standing at an easel before him was an informally dressed human. He s somewhat short, standing just a few inches above Crane s own five feet, with short brown hair partially obscuring his blue eyes. His thin but well muscled body stands in a relaxed yet poised manor more associated with martial artists than painters. His brush is held in his left hand, pressed against the paint board by his thumb, while his right index finger taps thoughtfully on his chin as he gazes at his painting.  
Umm Excuse me, but I don t believe we ve met. I am Master Crane. Who are you? asked Crane, interrupting the painter s thoughts.  
The painter looks at him for a second, right hand dropping to chest height, before replying.  
My name is Fang Xu. Nice to meet you, he said, offering his hand.  
Crane returns the short handshake. He shifts on his talons for a second, but continues when it is clear that Fang is not going to elaborate.  
So, what were you painting? Crane asks, walking around the easel to look at the image. He stops, whole body freezing at what he sees. On the canvas is him, sitting on the ledge, blocking the setting sun. Even in the fading light the great detail is still visible, each ray of light passing through his feathers perfectly captured in the paint before him. Crane s troubles clearly evident in his meditating form. He is so captivated by the painting that he misses Fang s reply.  
I m sorry, I missed what you said, Crane said, still looking at the painting.  
That s alright. I said I came up here to paint the view, but changed my mind when I saw you sitting there. I hope you don t mind. Fang said.  
No no, I don t mind, Crane replied, still staring at the painting. I have to say, this is incredibly well done. How did you get so many colors out of what you have on your board? Practice and a lot of experimentation, answered Fang as he started packing his paint into the large bag next to the easel. A couple cans of paint are briefly seen as he returns his brush and board. You can have it if you want. I couldn t...I I... Crane stutters before blurting, How much? Take it. I only seek repayment when I m on commission. Besides, I couldn t charge you for a picture of yourself you didn t order, grandly replied Fang, picking up the canvas and handing it to Crane. He then starts packing up the easel.  
Thank you, said Crane, quietly. Crane starts to turn away, pauses, and then turned back. Would you be interested in coming to the temple tomorrow? I m sure my friends would love to see some of your paintings. Fang froze eyes darting to the distant lights of the temple.  
What s wrong, asked Crane.  
It has been a long time since I have been in a temple, said Fang quietly.  
Oh, said Crane. He starts to say more, but is interrupted by Fang.  
Maybe it s time for me to return Fang said to himself before turning to Crane.  
I will see you there before the sun reaches noon, Fang said before walking away; quickly disappearing into the night.  
Crane stares after him a moment before taking off for home, the painting tightly held in his talons.  
As Crane flew, he realized just how long he had been out. When he d left, the sun was not far past its zenith, now the only light came from the windows and lanterns of the village. He returned to the temple and landed in the courtyard, transferring the paining to his beak before setting down. He then tucked the painting under his wing and entered the living quarters, opening the door as quietly as he could.  
It was not quiet enough, three steps into the building and Crane was surrounded by his fellows.  
Had you stayed out any longer, we would ve sent out a search, quipped Mantis.  
What s that? asked Monkey, noticing the painting.  
Grateful for the interruption, Crane pulled the painting from under his wing and held it out for them to see. I met this painter during my meditation. He painted this during the sunset and gave it to me, Crane said.  
Wow, that s really good! exclaimed Viper as they moved forward to see.  
He does seem to have exceptional skill, commented Tigress.  
Does this painter have a name? Po asked as he inspected the scene.  
Yeah umm oh right, Fang Xu, Crane answered after a moments thought.  
Shifu, having quietly entered the room earlier, twitches at the name before sharply asking, What did you say? Everyone jumped, Crane nearly dropping the painting. Crane begins to stutter, Master, I I m what? His name! demands Shifu, ignoring the confusion on their faces.  
His voice jolts Crane who blurts, Fang Xu. What is it master? asked Viper when Shifu doesn t respond.  
Shifu collects himself before explaining. Fang Xu was a student here when he was very young. He showed great promise in mastering Kung-Fu. What happened? asked Po.  
Shifu paused, his voice shifting into that of someone recounting the past. One day, the village was attacked by bandits. Oogway and I led the students to the village s defense, but we were not fast enough. Fang Xu s family lived on the edge of the village and was murdered before we could reach them. I saw something change in Fang as he watched his home distroyed by fire. He attacked the bandits, all thousand of them, by himself. Consumed by his anger, he killed almost all of them, even those who would have surrendered. When he saw what he had done, he fled into the night. Never to be seen again. That s so sad, whispers Viper.  
That would explain his hesitance when I asked him to come to the temple tomorrow, said Crane.  
He is coming here? demanded Shifu.  
He said he would come before noon, responded a startled Crane Is that bad? No, replied Shifu quickly, it will be interesting to see him again. Now, all of you to bed; we have much work to do tomorrow. Yes Master, they chorused before heading to their rooms, Crane detouring to grab a snack out of the kitchen.  
Crane ignored the quiet speculations the rest tossed around, his head a storm of thought about the day s events. He wouldn t recall when he fell asleep. 


	3. Chapter 3

The Painter: part 3

Viper awoke suddenly, whole body knotted together, just barely able to stop herself from crying out. She lay there, panting quietly, slowly calming herself as her dream replayed itself in her mind. Images of herself and Crane, locked together in loves embrace, swirled through her mind, impervious to her repeated attempts to suppress them. She looked around for anything to distract herself with, but dawn had not yet come and her room was too shrouded in darkness to see. Carefully, so as to not disturb the others, Viper slithered through her window and climbed to her favorite point on the roof. When the darkened valley gave nothing for her to distract herself with, she sighed and turned her thoughts inward. She sits for some time trying to rid herself of her crush on her fellow master, but it is no use. She watches the sunrise with despair, cursing it for not giving her more time, before returning to her room. Through the walls she can hear the faint sounds of the others preparing themselves for the long day ahead. Alerted by the nearly imperceptible vibrations of Shifu's approaching footsteps, Viper moves to her door and waits. As soon as she hears the sound of the first bell of morning, she flips open the door and moves into the hall.

"Good morning Master," chorus the furious six as they come to attention.

Shifu eyes them critically for a moment before he spoke.

"You will go straight to the training hall for morning workouts. To make sure I get the best out of you, you will not be allowed to eat until your performance meets my standards."

There was a quiet groan, louder from Po, quickly cut off by a glare from Shifu. They set off, Viper somehow falling into step next to Crane. There was a short, awkward silence between them, masked by the chatter around them.

"Are you ok?" asked Crane quietly, "you look like you didn't get much sleep."

"I didn't," Viper replied, just as quietly.

"Nightmares?" Crane inquired.

"Not really," Viper said, blushing slightly and looking away.

"Well, let me know if you need anyone to talk to," he said.

The rest of the short walk is passed in a semi-awkward silence, Viper torn between being happy at Crane's concern, and depression that she couldn't tell him how she felt.

They entered the training hall and spread out to give each other space to warm up. About an hour of stretches and light sparring later, they began taking turns going through the obstacle course. Tigress went first, quickly completing the rolling logs and the fighting forest, only to be toasted by an unseen firework. She could be seen on the far side being scolded by Shifu as Crane started the course. Viper watched him, admiring the graceful way his wings moved to block hits and the quick steps he took around the fire traps. He landed gracefully on the far side and conversed with Shifu. Neither Monkey nor Mantis made it through the fighting forest, Monkey stopped by a blow to the head and Mantis flung out of bounds by a whirling club.

Next it was Viper's turn. She leapt to the rolling logs, careful to avoid the embedded spikes, her small size allowing her to easily dodge the swinging bags overhead. A short jump later and she was in the fighting forest, the branches still spinning from Mantis' run. She deftly blocked the swinging arms, using her unmatched flexibility to twist herself out of the way. Carefully maneuvering around the last fighting tree, she moved onto the fire floor. Twisting herself into impossible shapes to avoid the fireballs, she moved across the floor and across the finish line. She lay there panting for a moment before noticing everyone looking at her.

"What?" she asked.

Her question seems to startle them; they blink for a second before Crane points behind her to the course. She turns and stares. There is a path of broken arms through the fighting forest, the nearest more than four yards from its stump. One of the rolling logs is frozen in place, having been jammed by a severed swing bag. On the other side stood Po, looking just as dumbfounded as the others.

"Oh," she said quietly.

"That's… a very good job Viper," said Shifu, recovering from his surprise.

"I had no idea," Viper whispered.

"What should I do now?" called Po.

Shifu considered the course for a moment as the staff moved in to fix the fighting forest. Po used the time to walk over to the group.

"We'll move on to sparring until the course is fixed, then you will run the course every hour until I believe you are ready," Shifu said.

"Can we eat first?" asked Po as his stomach growled. Shifu glared at him.

"No Po, you may not eat as you have not run the course yet," Shifu said coldly before turning to Crane and Viper. "On the other hand, you two have preformed well. Get yourself something to eat and return. You will spar with each other as they run the course."

"Yes Master," Crane and Viper chorused before leaving the hall, Po's envious eyes following them out.


	4. Chapter 4

The painter part 4

Crane and Viper left the training hall and headed toward the kitchen. There was a brief but uncomfortable silence between as they walked to the door to the living quarters.

"Great job back there," Crane said awkwardly as they entered the kitchen.

"Thanks," said Viper shyly, her cheeks turning red.

"So…what do you want to eat?" He asked.

"Ummm…I think I'll just have some soup," She responded as she started clearing the table.

"Sounds good," he said, moving to the stove.

Vipers watched surreptitiously as Crane began grabbing ingredients from the overhead cabinets. She couldn't help but to admire his ability to multitask as he used one claw to manage the pan and his beak and wings to add the ingredients. Her eyes moved lower, following the sleek curve of his spine.

"Damn his butt looks good," she thought.

Her breath quickened slightly as she stared at him. Suddenly he turned around, each wing holding a bowl of soup. She looked away quickly, her cheeks turning bright red. He paused for a second before continuing like nothing happened, placing a bowl in front of Viper and sitting across from her. They ate silently, both focusing intently on their soup to avoid looking at each other. Crane's mind whirled in thought.

"Was she really checking me out just then?" he wondered. His imagination seized on the opportunity and filled his mind with fantasies. He shook his head in an attempt to banish the vision of viper coiled around him, her lips pressing against his.

"What's up?" Viper asked, surprised by his sudden movement.

"Nothing," Crane said a little too quickly, blushing slightly.

Viper looked at him for a moment, causing him to fidget uncomfortably. She looked like she was about to say something before being interrupted by the sound of the others sparring outside. They both jumped slightly and Crane seized on the opportunity.

"We better get back to training," he said, standing up and grabbing the bowls.

"Yeah," Viper said quickly, also rising. She waited for him to toss the bowls in the sink and they left the kitchen together. The trip back to the courtyard seemed to take forever, both trying hard not to think of the other and neither of them succeeding.

They were met by the sight of the others sparring as they exited the living quarters. Po was just barley holding off Monkey, Tigress was attempting to pry mantis off her arm, and Shifu was watching critically from the side. Crane and Viper quickly moved to Shifu's side and bowed slightly. Shifu looked at them for a moment before shouting to the others.

"Cease!" he commanded. Po, Mantis, Monkey, and Tigress immediately stopped and turned toward him.

"You are doing better, but still not good enough. You are to run the course again, only this time you will race each other. First one to the end gets to eat. I will remain out here, if you cannot decide who won, then you will do it again," Shifu said, ignoring their surprise.

"Yes master," they said before heading off to the course, watching each other carefully.

After watching them leave, Shifu turned to Crane and Viper. Without a word, he pointed to the sparring mat.

"Yes master," Crane and Viper said, moving to their marks. They positioned themselves carefully, Viper coiling herself in preparation to strike and Crane centering himself for a more defensive fight. Shifu examined them for a second before clapping his hands for them to begin.

Viper fake launched at Crane's chest before lunging toward his feet. Crane seemed to anticipate the movement and jumped over Viper, striking at her back. With a quick flex of her body, Viper avoided Crane's wing and drove her tail at his chest. Crane blocked her tail as if he had seen it a mile away. They continued sparring, their actions speeding up as their bodies warmed and their frustration grew, but neither could gain an advantage over the other. It was as if they read each other's mind, they just KNEW what the other would do. They dodged attacks they could never have seen coming, sometimes before the attack even started. Their bodies took over, striking and dodging before their minds even processed the threat. They were so entwined in combat that they only barely heard Shifu's third call to stop, and then only because he had shouted. Crane and Viper suddenly found themselves standing on their original marks, breathing heavily. It took a second for their minds to re-engage before their eyes snapped to Shifu, who was no longer standing alone. The rest of the furious six stood around him, each sporting a few bruises and scratches. Though Shifu's expression was unreadable, the rest looked like a herd of dear caught in headlights. Crane and Viper glanced at each other before Crane coughed lightly.

"Yes master?" Crane asked delicately.

Shifu was about to reply when one of the staff ran over from the front gate. The small Mallardbowed quickly to Shifu.

"Master, there is a mister Fang Xu at the gates. Should we let him in?" he asked.

Shifu looked back and forth between the mallard, Crane, and Viper for second. He addressed the servant first.

"Yes, he is expected. Tell him to meet us in the garden, then prepare a room for him," Shifu ordered. The servant nodded and left. Shifu then turned to Crane and Viper, who were still standing on their marks.

"We will discuss your actions later," he said. Crane and Viper looked at each other in mild alarm.

Shifu then led the furious six out of the courtyard. When they entered the garden, they were greeted by the sight of Fang Xu meditating on one of the stones by the pond.


End file.
